If you asked me if there was anything I collected, my first reaction would be to say no. I don’t acquire and keep a specific set of items for the purpose of collecting. But looking around my home, it’s clear that I am a collector.
No matter how hard I try, I will always be a collector of books. This thwarts my plan to someday live in a Tiny House. Though I could possibly use the books to build a tiny house…
I am not as bad as many people. I don’t feel that I have an excessive number of books or bookcases. For the most part, I know what I own. I also try to limit purchasing books and try to get them either as cast-offs from friends and family (a great way to try new books I would never think to read) or through swap sites like BookMooch and PaperBackSwap.
When I finish a book, I do one of three things with it: I list it on a swap site (and then put it into a storage box under the bed), I give it to a friend, or I place it on a shelf. I do my best to only keep books that I love and know I will read again. Unfortunately, the keepers are growing in number. I need to go back through and pare down those shelves.
I sometimes claim that the reason I have so many books is because I was an English major, and therefore have a number of books that are filled with margin notes from class. I can’t swap or sell those, and many are so marked up that they’re not even donation quality. Of course, I can’t throw them away or recycle them! They’re books! So they stay on the shelf. Besides, they’re mostly classics, great for a home library.
The other problem with my book collection is that I’m acquiring faster than I can read. I read a book and then discover that it’s the first in a series. So rather than read one of the other unread books that I already have, I use the swap sites to get the next book in the series.
I continue to try to put myself on a book acquiring freeze, but it never seems to work well. I have decided that I am going to not buy any more books for the next few months and see how long that lasts. I can’t say that’s a huge sacrifice, as I don’t buy that many books. But it might force me to continue to go through my giant pile of unread books and work on getting them off the shelf and out of the house.
What do you find yourself accumulating? Shoes? Kitchen gadgets? Yarn? (I am proud to say I am cured of that addiction)
Big time problems with books and kitchen gadgets. I did a big purge when I moved but now I find when I get something new, I get rid of something old to keep things in check.
I’m with you on the book collecting. I got rid of a few books for the first time in YEARS a few months ago…it’s so hard to let go! But I’m definitely limited by bookcase space.
Ooooh, i keep all the books that i read – to remind myself that i actually DO READ! haha..plus, i’d like to have a home-library one day – you know, like one of those old ones in castles with red leather and wood everywhere?! mmmmm….i can see it now! haha..
I’m sorta-kinda on my way with it, I’ve redesigned (aka re-organized and bought stuff) our kitchen to look more like a “breakfast nook” – booth and all! We now have shelves above it w/ all these books i’ve read. i love it.
but to answer your question, i’d just sell it all on CL or give them away on the blog (if finance related), or donate to thrift stores and/or used book stores if they are around.